Phelps breaks own 200m mens butterfly record

14-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps improved his world record of 1:52.03 at 200m butterfly by winning the race in 1:51:51. A sweet revenge after the American suffered a shock defeat in the 200m freestyle on Tuesday.

AFP - Michael Phelps returned to the winner's circle on Wednesday with a world record-setting triumph in the men's 200m butterfly at the swimming World Championships.

The 14-time Olympic gold medallist suffered a shock defeat in the 200m free on Tuesday, when Germany's Paul Biedermann took both his world title and world record.

But Phelps responded in the fly, leading from start to finish and winning in 1min 51.51sec.

That improved on the world record of 1:52.03 that he set in winning Olympic gold in Beijing on August 13, 2008, part of his unprecedented eight-gold haul in China.

The 24-year-old American, who had seemed non-plussed by his first defeat in world and Olympic competition since 2005, knew just what to do after the victory, raising both arms in celebration as he stood on the deck to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd.

Japan's Takeshi Matsuda was lying second to Phelps until the final lap, when he was overtaken by Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski. Korzeniowski snatched the silver in 1:53.23 and Matsuda settled for bronze in 1:53.32.

Italy's Federica Pellegrini and South African Cameron Van Der Burgh also claimed world titles in world record times on Wednesday.

Pellegrini triumphed in the 200m freestyle in a time of 1:52.98, lowering the world record for the second time in two days. She had set the standard of 1:53.67 in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

Van Der Burgh also notched his second world record in as many days with his triumph in the 50m breaststroke in 26.67. He had set the previous record of 26.74 in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

The women's 50m backstroke semi-finals saw the world record fall twice in the blink of an eye.

No sooner had Daniela Samulski of Germany lowered her own world mark with a time of 27.39 in the first semi, than Russian Anastasia Zueva one-upped her with a world record of 27.38 in the second semi-final.